Calling For Action On Florida’s Rising Seas

This segment is part of The State of Science, a series featuring science stories from public radio stations across the United States.

According to middle-of-the-road predictions, seas will rise by as much as two feet by 2060 in South Florida. Residents of Miami and surrounding counties have already seen that rise in action: hurricane-like “king tides” in the fall, storm sewers rendered useless by invading salt water, and other signs of infrastructure, transit, and even housing issues to come.

Citing a lack of action at the state and federal level to help the region adapt and plan, the editorial boards of three major newspapers, The Miami Herald, The Sun Sentinel, and The Palm Beach Post, are teaming up. The papers say the new The Invading Sea project will prioritize sea level rise as an issue in this year’s midterm elections, and collectively boost their editorial focus on the challenges presented by rising seas.

Rosemary O’Hara, editorial page editor for the Sun Sentinel, explains for this week’s State of Science.

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About The Project

The Invading Sea is a collaboration by the editorial boards of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post —
with reporting by WLRN Public Media —
to address the threat South Florida faces from sea-level rise. We want to raise awareness, amplify the voice of our region and create a call to action that can't be ignored. Read More